Chapter Four
“H aving fun tonight, Addy? I haven’t seen you dance so much…well, never,” Violet said from next to her.
“Our plan is working splendidly,” Lucy said from her other side. “I knew it would!”
Adeline smiled at Lucy’s unabashed enthusiasm. Lucy was enthusiastic about everything she set her mind to. She was rather like a whirlwind when on a mission.
Lucy’s husband, the Duke of Hartwick, joined them. “I am back as promised with refreshments.” He handed her a cup of raffia. “What plan is working?”
Adeline took a long swallow of her tepid punch. She was parched. Who knew dancing would require so much exertion? It looked so graceful from afar, and the first dance had been all right, but seven sets later, she was ready to sit down and take off her blasted shoes. She wiggled her toes inside her heeled slippers.
Lucy patted her husband’s chest. “Oh, nothing for you to worry about. So, having fun then, Addy?”
Adeline noticed the duke quirk an eyebrow. But he didn’t pursue the topic; instead, he slid an arm around his wife’s waist. The duke had intimidated Adeline when she first met him, but seeing how he doted on Lucy made Adeline realize that his harsh outward appearance, with scars marring one side of his face, was not at all an indication of the fine man he was on the inside.
“Umm, to be honest, I am a bit bored. All these gentlemen are so vapid. One can only handle so much talk of the weather and horses and, good Lord, the one who spoke endlessly of his coin collection.”
“What’s wrong with speaking about horses?” Violet asked.
“Nothing, dear, it’s just not a particular interest of mine. Perhaps you should dance with Lord Kendall; you share an affinity for horse racing.”
“No, thank you. I am acquainted with him. He is a blowhard; I will give you that.”
“Did you meet anyone interesting?” Lucy prodded.
Adeline bit down on her lower lip. “Well, I did meet Lord Kingsbury. Turns out he is old friends with my brother.”
“You did? What is he like?”
“He and his naval officer friend are both tall, handsome types. Despite being dressed formally, they gave me the impression that they are men who work with their hands. Both were tanned and…” Adeline gestured with her hands, hoping to give her friends a sense of the height and breadth of the two men. “Lord Kingsbury is particularly cheeky.”
“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.” A low, amused voice came from her left.
Adeline closed her eyes. Dear Lord . She turned slowly to face the man in question. “Lord Kingsbury, please pardon me.”
“No need. I have come to claim my long-awaited dance. Although now I cannot remember what we were arguing about.”
“Arguing?” Violet was looking back and forth between the two of them, her eyebrows raised high.
“Fate, we were discussing the concept of fate,” Adeline said. Now her friends were both staring. “Allow me to introduce Lord Kingsbury. Lord Kingsbury, these are my friends, the Duke and Duchess of Hartwick and Lady Violet Blakeley.”
“A pleasure to meet you, ladies.” Lord Kingsbury gave a short bow. “Your Grace, I believe your father and mine were good friends. Your father once did a great kindness to me when I lost my family at a young age.”
The duke nodded. “That sounds exactly like him.”
“The elder Lord Hartwick took me in when I lost my family at fourteen.” Lucy smiled. “He always looked out for those he considered friends.”
Adeline watched Kingsbury freeze as he studied her friend. His head tilted to one side. “Lucy Middleton?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
A wide smile broke out across Lord Kingsbury’s face. “Your father was the first captain I sailed under at fifteen. I was under his command until I was eighteen. He kept a miniature of your mother in his cabin. I used to stare at it while I polished his boots. You look very much like her.”
“How extraordinary!” Lucy returned his grin. “Hart, can you believe that?”
“Yes, dear. It sounds as though my father arranged it.”
“Yes,” Lord Kingsbury said. “I remember him saying that he would request me to be on Middleton’s ship. I am so pleased to meet you both. Without each of your father’s guidance, I would not be the man I am today.”
“We will be sure to invite you over for dinner. I want to hear all the stories you can tell me about being on board ship with my father,” Lucy said.
“I’d be delighted,” Kingsbury said. The first strain of a waltz began. He turned and held out a hand to Adeline. “Shall we?”
Adeline placed her hand in his. She was still embarrassed to have been caught gossiping about him. It certainly confirmed her status as a complete dolt when it came to social graces. His hand enveloped hers, warm and strong. She glanced sideways at him and found his attention focused back on her.
“Still don’t believe in fate?” he asked.
“No. The probability of you meeting the children of the men who helped you as an adolescent is high. There are not that many peers in London.”
“And that the daughter of my commanding officer is married to Lord Hartwick’s son? And that they are friends of yours? All of that smacks of coincidence to me,” Kingsbury said.
“Coincidence and fate are two different concepts, my lord.” Both concepts were poppycock. George’s voice echoed in her head, reminding her to be agreeable. She refrained from arguing further.
When they reached the dance floor, Lord Kingsbury swung her into his arms. His hand at her waist sent her stomach fluttering. Why? She had danced with a half dozen other men this evening and felt nothing at the touch of their hands. Now, this strange warmth spread from where his hand spanned her back all the way to where the tips of his fingers held hers lightly in his grasp.
He looked down at her, his gaze intent only on her. “Ready?”
She nodded, but her nerves got the better of her as they started, and she stepped forward instead of backward, bumping into Lord Kingsbury’s hard chest. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Get a hold of yourself.
Their second attempt to begin went more smoothly. His hand tightened at her waist, and she let herself be led through the steps. By the time they made a pass around the floor, she had stopped counting in her head and could look up at her partner without stumbling. Without her spectacles, the crowd around them was a colorful blur as they danced. Adeline focused on the man in front of her. She took notice of the golden tan skin at his throat and his freshly shaven jaw. She raised her gaze up farther and found him staring down at her.
“We don’t have to argue about fate. Perhaps instead, we could talk about my coin collection.”
Adeline’s mouth fell open briefly before she realized he was teasing her. She huffed and shifted her gaze back to his cravat. The rogue.
His chest rumbled with a low laugh. “I couldn’t help myself. Please don’t be mad. If it makes you feel any better, I also have had several stimulating conversations this evening. Riveting topics have included the damp weather, the importance of proper rain gear in said weather, and how mud is so determinantal to horses’ hooves.”
Adeline chuckled. “It is nice to know that the dull conversation is not exclusive to me. So, Lord Kingsbury, what topic is of interest to you?”
“You. You are of interest to me.”
Adeline almost stumbled but caught herself at the last moment and executed a small turn before returning to Lord Kingsbury’s arms. “I can’t imagine why. What do you want to know?”
“Did you manage to get all your books home safely?”
“Yes, indeed. I am reading Observations on Vision by a renowned professor at Cambridge.”
“So, you have a wide variety of interests then, not only astronomy?”
“Yes, although astronomy is my passion. Mr. Young’s book was of interest to me for personal reasons.” She pointed to her eyes. This elicited another frown from Lord Kingsbury. Perhaps he didn’t care for corrective lenses.
“How poor is your vision without your spectacles?”
“Sir, that is a rather personal question.” Adeline sighed as he stared down at her, patiently waiting for an answer. They executed another turn. “Objects within five feet or so are perfectly clear, but farther than that, they become increasingly blurry. Especially faces. My spectacles sharpen my vision and help my eyes focus. I usually wear them, but tonight, my father decided they were unattractive and pocketed them.”
“I thought your spectacles were rather adorable. They amplify your beautiful eye color. Your father is foolish to deprive you of them.”
Had he said her eyes were beautiful? “I am often at the mercy of his opinions.”
Lord Kingsbury twirled them through another turn. He leaned down to speak next to her ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine.
“Then I will remember to stay close when I see you sans spectacles.”
Was this gorgeous man flirting with her? The corners of his green eyes crinkled with mirth. Adeline grasped for something flirty to say in return, but her mind, usually so sharp, seemed out of witty repartee for the night. Instead, before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Did you know that most of the stars and constellations are named from ancient Greek and Roman mythology?”
“Yes, in fact I did. As a sailor, the stars are an essential part of navigation.”
“What is your favorite constellation?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you testing my knowledge?”
Adeline felt her cheeks heat. She lowered her gaze to stare at his cravat again. “No, I was just curious.”
“I think maybe Orion, the great hunter.”
“That is a good one. Do you know the story behind it?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Orion was said to be the lover of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. They would happily spend their days together hunting until her father learned of their relationship and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion. When Artemis found her lover dead, she flung the evil scorpion into the night sky, turning it into the constellation Scorpius. Then she took her slain lover and put him into the night sky as well, far away from Scorpius. That is why, no matter the season, Scorpius and Orion are always rising and setting on opposite sides of the sky.”
“I had not heard the tale.” Lord Kingsbury expertly twirled them through the dancing throng. His hand at her waist was firm and steadying. “So, you enjoy the romanticism of the ancient myths?”
“No, I am a scientist at heart. Romanticism is generally beyond my comprehension,” she admitted. “Besides, the Greek myths are mostly tragedies. There is nothing romantic about your lover dying at the hands of your father.”
“No, I suppose not.”
The last strain of the music played to a close. They came to a halt, but Lord Kingsbury did not let go of her immediately. The feeling was reminiscent of when he had held her against him at the bookshop. As was her feeling of light-headedness. Perhaps it was all the twirling that created the sensation. Or perhaps she would always feel this way when he smiled at her.